Riser structure for stapling machines



Dec. 13, 1955 H. w. MARANO RISER STRUCTURE FOR STAPLING MACHINES Original Filed Feb. 15,1949

2 Sheets-Sheet l H. W. MARANO RISER STRUCTURE FOR STAPLING MACHINES Deg. 13, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Original Filed Feb. 15. 1949 United States Patent RISER STRUCTURE FOR STAPLING MACHINES Herbert W. Marano, Summit, N.'J., assignor, to Wilson- Jones Company, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Massachusetts Original application February 15 1949 Serial No. 76,497, now Patent No. 2,667,637, dated February 2, 1954. Divided and this application May 29, 1953, Serial No. 358,365

4 Claims. (Cl. 1-3) This invention relates to a body mounting for stapling machines and is particularly concerned with frictional means for holding the body portion of a stapling machine in any desired angular relationship to the base portion.

This application is a division of my co-pending application filed February 15, 1949, under Serial No. 76,497, which issued as Patent No. 2,667,637, February 2, 1954.

It is an object of this invention to provide improved friction means for holding the body portion of the stapling machine in any desired position relative to the base portion and thereby facilitate tacking and loading operations.

Another object of the invention is to facilitate shifting of the parts between stapling and tacking positions.

A further object is to provide improved means for automatically regulating the distance between the lower surface of the body portion and the upper surface of the base portion whenever the stapling machine is shifted from tacking to stapling position.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent upon reading the following description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings showing two preferred illustrative embodiments of the invention, in which:

Fig. l is a side elevational view of a stapling machine embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view through the stapling machine, showing the friction block and associated parts in the position occupied before the start of a staple driving operation; Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view through the stapling machine, showing the friction block and associated parts in the position occupied at the finish of a staple driving operation;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary side elevational view showing another embodiment of the friction block; and

Fig. 5 is a cross sectional view, taken along the line 5--5 of Fig. 4.

Referring to the drawings, the stapling machine comprises a base portion 2 having a pair of upstanding fins 3, and a body portion 4 pivotally secured to the fins 3 by means of a hinge pin or sleeve 5 which is rigidly held in place by screws 6 extending through apertures in the fins 3 and threaded into opposite ends of the hinge pin. The base portion 2 is provided with an anvil 7 and cushioning feet 8. The body portion 4 is provided with a staple magazine 9, staple feeding means 10, and staple driving means 11. This structure is fully described in my Patent No. 2,667,637 and will not be described in detail in view of the fact that it does not constitute part of the present invention. Furthermore, the friction block structure, hereinafter described, may be used in any stapling machine having a body portion pivotally secured to a base portion.

A friction block 12 is mounted in body portion 4 on hinge pin 5. The friction block is split from one end, as indicated at 13, and a screw 14 is threaded into an aperture traversing the block through the split 13 to regulate the friction between block 12 and hinge pin 5. The screw 14 holds the split end of the friction block against the hinge pin 5 tightly enough so that when the body portion of the stapling machine is moved downwardly against the base, as in the normal stapling operation, the friction block remains fixed relative to the hinge pin. The friction is preferably regulated so that the base 2 and body 4 may readily be angularly separated about the hinge pin 5 to position the stapling machine for loading or tacking.

Base 2 and body 4 will stay in any angular relationship 15 adjacent its lower edge, and a projection 16 extends upwardly from the ledge to abut the underside of friction block 12. The projection 16 prevents the friction block 12 from moving downwardly relative to the body portion beyond a predetermined point. The projection 16 could extend downwardly from the bottom of block 12 to engage the ledge 15. In either case, the projection acts as a spacer to keep the friction block 12 a predetermined distance from the bottom of the body portion 4.

Another projection 17 extends upwardly from the upper surface of friction block 12. This projection may be integral with the block, but is preferably a pin driven into a recess 18 in the block, as shown in Fig. 2. A coiled compression spring 19 encircles projection 17, and one end of the spring bears against the top of friction block 12. The spring 19 could be seated in a recess in the top of friction block 12, if desired, but the projection 17 is preferred because it eliminates any possibility of accidental displacement of the spring. The body portion 4 is provided at its upper edge with a transverse ledge 20 which forms a top wall for the body portion. A boss 21 depends from top wall 20 in vertical alignment with the projection 17, and is recessed to seat the other end of spring 19. The top of projection 17 is spaced below the boss 21, and the force exerted by spring 19 is sufiicient to keep the bottom of friction block 12 normally in contact with the top of projection 16. If desired, projection 17 could be made integral with top wall 20, and one end of spring 19 be seated in a recess in the top of friction block 12.

When the staple driving mechanism is actuated to drive a staple the body portion 4 is moved downwardly about the pivot 5 until the lower surface of the front end of the body portion contacts the sheets positioned on the upper surface of base portion 2 which are to be stapled together. During this movement the friction block 12 remains stationary and spring 19 is compressed, as shown in Fig. 3. As soon as the driving force is released spring 19 forces the body portion 4 up until projection 16 again engages the bottom of friction block 12.

In order to load the stapling machine the body portion 4 is moved pivotally relative to the base portion a distance considerably greater than the distance between the top of projection 17 and the bottom of boss 21. The friction of the block 12 against hinge pin 5 must be light enough to permit projection 16 to move the friction block around hinge pin 5 without requiring excessive force, and yet must be suflicient to hold the friction block in any position relative to the hinge pin to which it is moved. After the base and body portions are moved about the pivot 5 for loading the machine or for tacking, the user generally swings the base and body back to the position shown in Fig. 3 to prepare the machine for regular stapling operations. The screw 14 is adjusted so that the friction block is held against turning on the hinge pin by a force greater than the force exerted by spring 19 so that the spring 19 will automatically move the body portion 4 upwardly from the position of Fig. 3, and thereby maintain the desired distance between the front of the body and base portions, rather than move the friction block downwardly around the hinge pin.

Since the only leeway the body portion 4 has relative to the friction block 12 is the space between the top of projection 17 and the bottom of boss 21, it is obvious that any movement between the base and body portion, beyond the movement permitted by this space, necessitates pivotal movement of friction block 12 around hinge pin 5. Accordingly, the friction between block 12 and hinge pin 5, which is regulated by screw 14, is of critical importance in the functioning of the stapling machine. Screw 14 is tightened enough to provide sufiicient friction to hold the body portion in any angular position, relative to the base portion to which it is moved, subject, of course, to the minimum separation between the front end of the body portion and the base portion mentioned above. The friction is light enough, however, to permit pivotal movement of the body portion around the hinge pin without requiring an excessive amount of force.

In Figs. 4 and I have shown another embodiment of friction block which may be substituted for friction block 12. In this embodiment the hinge pin 5 is drive fitted in an aperture in arm 22. The arm 22 is provided with a lateral projection 23 which fits into spring 19' in the same manner as projection 17. A plurality of flat washers 24 is mounted on hinge pin 5' on either side of arm 22. A pair of cupped washers 25 is mounted on the ends of hinge pin 5' between the outermost fiat washer and side walls of the body portion 4. A pair of screws 26 pass through apertures in fins 3 and body portion 4 and are threaded into hinge sleeve 5 to hold the base and body portions together. These screws 26 can be tightened in the ends of hinge pin 5' to cause the cupped washers 25 to exert lateral pressure against the fiat sides of arm 22. The friction exerted against the sides of arm 22 by the pressure of washers 25 is so regulated that when the body portion of the stapling machine is moved pivotally around the hinge pin 5 the angular relationship between the body and base portions will be maintained by the friction against arm 22, subject, as in the case of friction block 12, to the minimum separation between the front end of the body and base portions. The drive fit of hinge pin 5' with the arm 22 secures these two members rigidly together so that the hinge pin is retained in fixed position.

Although I have described two preferred embodiments of my invention in considerable detail, it will be understood that the description thereof is intended to be illustrative, rather than restrictive, as many changes may be made in the structure described without departing from the spirit or scope of my invention. Accordingly, I do not desire to be restricted to the exact structure described, except as limited by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a stapling machine, a base portion, a body portion pivotally secured thereto by means of a hinge member and having a top wall, a block frictionally mounted on said hinge member within said body portion, an upstanding projection extending from the bottom of said body portion into engagement with the bottom of said block, a spring confined between the top of said block and the top wall of said body portion to maintain a predetermined minimum space between the front of said body portion and said base portion, and screw means for regulating the friction between said block and said hinge member.

2. In a stapling machine, a base portion, an anvil mounted in said base portion, a hinge member extending transversely through said base portion adjacent the rear thereof, means holding said hinge member rigidly against rotation relative to said base, a body portion pivotally mounted on said hinge member whereby said body portion may be moved to fully open position for loading of staples, a block frictionally mounted on said hinge member within said body portion, means carried by said body member engaging said block to move said block pivotally around hinge member when said body portion is moved to fully open position for loading staples, and a spring confined between said block and one wall of said body portion to maintain a minimum separation between the bottom of said body portion and said anvil.

3. In a stapling machine, a base portion, a hinge member extending transversely through said base portion adjacent the rear thereof, means holding said hinge member rigid against rotation relative to said base, a body portion pivotally mounted on said hinge member, said body portion being movable angularly relative to said base portion to fully open position for loading of staples, a block frictionally mounted on said hinge member within said body portion, means interposed between said block and a wall of said body portion to limit the relative pivotal movement between said block and said body portion, and a spring confined between said block and a wall of said body portion to normally maintain said body portion in a predetermined spaced relationship to said base portion when said body portion is moved adajacent to said base portion.

4. In a stapling machine, a base portion, a hinge member rigidly secured to said base portion, a body portion pivotally secured to said hinge member, a block positioned within said body portion and frictionally mounted on said hinge member, screw means regulating the friction between said block and said hinge member, and a spring confined between said block and one wall of said body portion to maintain a predetermined relationship between said body portion and said block.

No references cited. 

